Carpet-stretcher



(No Model.)

G. W. JONES.

CARPET STRETGHER. No. 267,216. Patented Nov. 7, 1882.

WITNESSES '4. Firms Phomurhu n mr. Wilmin ton. D4 0.

UNTTED STATES CHARLES \V. JONES, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,216, dated November '7', 1882.

Application filed September 26, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. JONES, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garpet-Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in a carpet-stretcher (f novel construction, which not only provides for stretching the carpet, but for holding it while being tacked to the floor, and which is operated in avery easy manner bya sure and positive gear movement, also which comprises a novel anchoring device and a swiveling stretchin g-head capable of beingset atdifferent angles, to workin jogs or curved spaces ofa room and in narrow places, the whole forming alight, simple, and durable device which may readily be operated by a single person.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the iigures.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of my improved carpet-stretcher, and Fig. 2 an end view ofthe stretching-head with wire carding applied to its under surface.

A represents the stretching-head, which may consist of a narrow strip of wood of any desired length, and which is faced on its under side with wire carding, b to grip or hold upon the carpet. Said head, or a plate, a, thereon, forming part of the head, is pivoted intermediatcly of its length, as at (T, to the outer end' of a bar, B, having a rack, 0, along and within the one side of it. This attachment of the head A provides for swiveling it horizontally on or under the end of the rack-bar B. Said rack-baris titted to slide longitudinally through a saddle or guide, 0, which is mounted on the forward end of the base or floor board D. Engaging with the rack c of the bar Bis a pinion, E, the pivot of which has its bearing in the guide O, and may be operated by a crank or hand-wheel, F, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) to work the rack-bar B in or out.

Connected in a free manner, by a looselyfitted link,f, to the forward end of the guideO is a vertically-bent anchoring-arm, G, which terminates at its outer end in a downwardly-projecting sharp tooth, g. If desired, there may be two or more of such arms, and instead of being attached to the guide O,they may be directly attached to the floor-board or plate D.

His a pawl, pivoted to the floor-board D, and controlled by a spring, h, so as to engage with or be held disengaged from a rack, 1 having ratchet-shaped teeth and arranged along the outside of the rack-bar B. hen the pawl is engaged with the rack-bar the said bar is restrained from moving back. The head or outer end of the rack-bar B is provided with a series of locking'projections, it, between any of which a stop, I, jointed to the plate 0 of the head A,

is free to enter or engage for the purpose of holding the head A in any position in which it may be swiveled or adjusted on its pivot 01.

To use the stretcher, the stretching-head A is run back as far as it will go by turning the pinion E through the wheel F, after which the tooth g of the arm G is driven into the floor close to the mop-board, a single light blow being sufliclent to secure its hold in the floor. This anchors the whole device and puts it in position ready for operation.

To stretch the carpet, the pinion E is turned to work the raek-barB and its attached stretching-head A outward, and after the carpet has been sufficiently stretched the pawl H is put into engagement with the rack i on the extensible bar B, which prevents the stretchinghead from being drawn back. The carpet is then tacked down the length ofthe stretchinghead, after which the anchoring-arm G is slightly raised to relieve the tooth g of its hold on the floor, the pawl I'Ireleased from the rack t', the stretching-head A drawn back, and the whole device moved along'the floor the length of the stretchinghead, when or after which the apparatus is anchored again and operated as before to produce another stretching action on the carpet, and so on until the whole carpet is stretched and secured.

To release the tooth g of the arm G from its hold on the floor it is only necessary to put one end of the tack-hammer or its handle under said arm,near its tooth, and pry or lift the tooth out of the floor. Said tooth g, being very small and fine at its point, makes but a little larger hole in the floor than does a tack, and the arm Gr, beingcurved vertically, gives plenty of room to turn the edge of the carpet under it.

The device can be used in any space which is within the compass of the stretching-head,

2 acy eic and will be found very convenient where there are jogs in a room, or in narrow hallways and places; also in stretching a carpet to fit the corners of a room. By the swiveling connection of the stretching-head, too, the device will be found very serviceable in stretching carpets to fit the space'lei't by bay-windows in a A room, or other angular or curved spaces.

Instead of the pinion E being arranged to rotate about a vertical axis, it might be disposed to have a horizontal one and the rack e be arranged along the bottom of the bar B; or in some cases a lever mechanism might be substituted for the rack and pinion also, various other devices than the pawl H and rackt' might be used for locking the bar B and its attached stretching-head when extended; but I prefer the combinatlon and arrangement of parts which are here shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination, with a base or floor board, D, an extensible stretching-head A, and mechanism connecting said head with said board for operating the head, of one or more anchoring-arms, G, having teeth 9, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, With the floor-board D,

the bar B, and mechanism for working said bar in or out, of the stretching-head A, pivoted intermediately of its length to said bar, whereby it may be swiveled oradjusted to occupy different angular positions relatively to or across said bar, essentially as and for the purpose described.

3. In combination with the extensible bar B and swiveling stretching-head A, of the locking-stop 1, arranged to engage with notches or between teeth on said bar, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The sliding rack-bar B, in combination with the pinion E, engaging therewith, the base or floor board'D, and the stretching-head A, essentially as shown and described.

5. The combination of the holding-pawl H with the rack-bar B, the floor-board D, mechanism for operating said bar in or out, and the stretching-head A, substantially as specified.

CHARLES W. JONES.

Witnesses:

Azno M. DoWs, CHARLES NAYLOR. 

